Miniature cameras are currently available in many personal electronic devices, such as cellular telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like. Miniature cameras are also available as stand-alone devices for applications such as security and surveillance.
The market for miniature cameras is rapidly expanding. For example, camera-equipped cellular telephones were unheard of just a few years ago, but now they are a significant portion of the cellular telephone market.
However, contemporary miniature cameras may not be well-suited for some applications. For example, contemporary miniature cameras tend to be fixed focus cameras, i.e., the focus of the camera is pre-set and cannot be changed by the user. By using a relatively small aperture, the depth of field is sufficient to provide acceptable focus over a wide range of distances. However, the provided focus may be unacceptable for some applications. Additionally, the small aperture limits the amount of light used to form the image. This limitation may severely limit the camera's use in low light conditions.
It is generally desirable to make miniature cameras as small a possible. This generally restricts the number of desirable features, such as autofocus, that can be provided for a miniature camera. It is desirable to package the components of a miniature camera in a manner that facilitates the incorporation of desirable features, such as autofocus, while facilitating an overall reduction in size of the miniature camera.